Dating: Some amazing statistics

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By DJC, 06 October, 2017 09:18

About DJC

The older I get, the less I know and the more inquisitive I get.

Unfortunately, despite a lifelong search, most of the answers elude me. That said, I love to ask the questions and fuel the debates that will ultimately lead us all to a better understanding of the big issues in life, the universe and everything.

They say that we spend 98% of our lives in our head. I for one would like to use that time as effectively as possible.

Prepare to have your mind blown with these online dating statistics.

I read the article on YsPeople recently called The 12 types of men on online dating sites. It is a good read. The author, who calls herself The Midlife Single, has certainly learned a lot about men.

The statistics on cheating are astounding. Picture: Shutterstock

After reading her post, I was given to wondering how prevalent online dating is in Australia.

I uncovered the following statistics:

Number of Australian singles online searching for a partner – 2.2 million

Number of Australians on adult dating sites – 750,000

Number of Australians using traditional ‘personals’ - 640,000

Number of Australians using Standard dating sites - 530,000

Adult sites seem to be very popular. I must try one!

It seems that Tinder, the online ‘hook-up’ service, is very popular indeed. Apparently:

3.5 million Australians used it in 2016 alone.

I wondered what people were looking for on these sites and found:

26% of men are apparently looking for a partner

16% of women are apparently looking for a partner

99% of women say they are not looking for a long-term relationship

76% of men say they are not looking for a long-term relationship

So, contrary to popular belief, women seem more reluctant to commit than men. Outstanding!!

I wondered how successful these online daters were and found that:

66% of people on an online dating site have been on a date with a person met there

16% of women complain about not finding a suitable partner

23% of men say they find it hard to find a perfect partner.

I have no idea what ‘perfect’ means, but I would have thought this was not a bad result.

But is it all good? Well, apparently not. The ACCC reports that:

There are nearly 3000 complaints about dating sites each year

Some 400 people report having lost more than $10,000 as a result of online dating

Some 60 plus people report losing more than $100,000

Some 43% of people who had a date had experienced what they considered a scam.

These results are not the fault of the dating sites, but they do suggest that care is warranted.

Is online dating socially acceptable? Research suggests that:

‘Online dating is a good way of meeting people’ – 59%

‘People who use online dating sites are desperate’ – 23%

This has changed significantly over recent years. And why not? Just about everything else now starts online!

So what else did I find? Well, the most surprising, given the success of feminism was:

42% of women surveyed suggest that the male should always pay for dinner.

What about dating in general? Well it is an amazing industry in Australia. Note:

Australians currently spend $12 billion annually on dating

The average cost of a first date in Australia is $79

Australians are currently spending some $120 annually on dating services

40% of Australians are currently looking for some kind of relationship

This is a substantial industry. So how can we all get in there and make a buck?

It seems that online dating is a big industry and a subset of an even bigger one. It seems online dating is increasingly popular and socially acceptable. While there is clearly a need to proceed with care, it is apparent that online dating can deliver on the objectives of participants.

Perhaps the only really troubling finding was that I would still have to pay for dinner!!

Have you tried online dating?

Why? Why not?

What are your thoughts?

What are the alternatives?

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johnc@lincintegrated.com